Question

When would cup of hot coffee left on the counter stop transferring heat? A) when it has reached the same temperature as the room temperature air B) when it has lost all of its termal energy C) when it has gained all of the air's thermal energy D) when the room temperature air has transferred all of its coldness to the coffee

Answer 1

The correct answer is A) when it has reached the same temperature as the room temperature air.

Heat transfer occurs between two objects (in this case, the coffee and the air) until they reach thermal equilibrium, meaning they have the same temperature. At that point, there is no longer a temperature difference to drive heat transfer, and thus the cup of hot coffee would stop transferring heat.